Hordes Battle Report - Skorne vs. Circle Orboros - 35 pts

Back with a new batrep featuring Jamar's Skorne once again facing Beau's Circle Orboros.
Jamar's List:

Narresh

Titan Gladiator

Titan Cannoneer

Rhinodon

Max. Paingiver Beast Handlers

Paingiver Taskmaster

Max. Gatorman Posse

Thrullg

Beau's List:

Cassius & Wurmwood

Warpwolf Stalker

Pureblood Warpwolf

Max. Warpborn Skinwalkers

Shifting Stones + UA

Reeve Hunter

War/Ninja Wolf x 3

Min. Bonegrinders

Lanyssa Ryssyl

Swamp Gobbers

Feralgeist

Deployment: Beau won the roll and chose to go first. From top to bottom he deployed: Reeve Hunter, War Wolf, War Wolf, War Wolf, Feralgeist, Pureblood, Swamp Gobbers, Stalker, Cassius, Lanyssa, Bone Grinders and the Skinwalkers, with Wurmwood and the Shifting Stones advance deployed. From top to bottom Jamar deployed: Gatormen, Task Master, Beast Handlers, Cannoneer, Gladiator, Naaresh, Rhinodon, with the Thrullg AD'd.

Circle turn 1: First off the Shifting Stones shifted Wurmwood further into the woods and the Stone Keeper used Stone Form (+5 ARM and DEF reduced to 5). The Skinwalkers and the Bone Grinders both ran up and Cassius charged & killed a Bone Grinder, its soul going to Wurmwood (Wurmwood can gather souls from models dying within 10", gets +1 ARM per soul, up to 5, and Cassius can take them during his activation to turn into fury). Cassius then cast Unseen Path (places him or Wurmwood within 2" of the other) to teleport behind Wurmwood and shed a fury. Next the Swamp Gobbers advanced to make a 5" cloud, which Lanyssa and the Stalker ran into to get Stealth via Prowl, the Stalker warping Prowl and riling for 1. The Pureblood warped Spellward and then ran up, as did the War Wolves, Reeve Hunter and Feralgeist.

Skorne turn 1: First off the Thrullg charged Wurmwood, but was juuuust short. The Gatorman Posse ran up, using the Dirge of Mists prayer (+1 DEF and Terror) and the Task Master followed, using the Temper Flesh ability to give them Tough. Naaresh then advanced, casting Iron Flesh on the Gatormen, as well as Lamentation. The Rhinodon and Gladiator both ran up and the Cannoneer advanced, shot at Lanyssa (missing of course) and scattering onto the Stalker, doing no damage. It then used its animus Diminish (-2 STR to enemy models within 2") and lastly the Beast Handlers ran up.

A Circle perspective.

A Skorne perspective.

Circle turn 2: Cassius gathered fury, with nothing to upkeep. The Bone Grinders used Craft Talisman on Cassius, giving him +2" to spell range when he's the point of origin. The Skinwalkers then got the order to charge, with three charging the Thrullg and two repositioning. Of the three that charged, only 1 hit and brought the Thrullg to 1 health. Cassius then advanced out of the forest and cast a boosted Curse of Shadows (target model/unit suffers -2 ARM, can't make free strikes and can be moved through) at the Gatormen, hitting their DEF 16. He then used his feat, making everything within 10" of Wurmwood into forest and cast Unseen Path to place Wurmwood near the pond. Just after the fact he remember that the Thrullg has Arcane Consumption (models casting spells within its CMD take 1 damage and it heals 1 per spell cast), so Cassius took 2 damage and the Thrullg healed 2. Next the Pureblood warped Ghostly (to move through what is now forest), advanced to within 3" of a Skinwalker (so as to be able to see and thus target it) and sprayed it in the back, getting it and the Thrullg under the spray. It hit the Skinwalker for 1 damage and boosted fully on the Thrullg, killing it, with Wurmwood taking its soul. The Stalker ran to the other side of the pond and riled to for fury. The Reeve Hunter tried to shoot a Gatorman, but missed and the Wolves ran, 2 running in to engage the Gators and one running into the pond. Lanyssa advanced and used Winter Storm to prevent enemy models (namely the Gatormen) from be able to use Pathfinder if they began their activation in her CMD range. In this situation it prevents them from moving at full speed through the forest, but not the pond, as Amphibious still gets around water effects. The Shifting Stones shifted near Wurmwood, the Stone Keeper again using Stone Form. The Swamp Gobbers ran 6" through the feat-created forest and lastly the Feralgeist ran in front of Wurmwood.

Skorne turn 2: Naaresh upkept both spells. First the Gators advanced slightly and killed the two Wolves that were in their face (using Dirge of Mists again) and the Task Master moved a bit and used Temper Flesh on the Gators (again). Naaresh then activated, casting rush on the Rhindon and the Cannoneer and advanced forward using his feat (his beasts get +1 STR and ARM for each damaged aspect they have, he can do 1 damage to each aspect if needed and he heals 1 health per point of damage he does to the beasts using the feat) and sitting on zero fury. The Gladiator advanced, as did the Beast Handlers, four of them hitting Naaresh for 1 damage a piece (he gets a +1 STR and ARM each time he's damaged, up to +5) bringing him to ARM 19, one moving to screen the Task Master and one using Enrage (+2 STR and charges for free, but must charge) on the Rhinodon. The Rhinodon then charged a Skinwalker, casting its own animus on itself (target model gains boosted special attack rolls) and using Thresher, hitting three Skinwalkers and boosting the damage to kill all three. Wurmwood was in range to grab their souls, filling up to its max of 5. At the end of the turn Naaresh was in a somewhat vulnerable position.

The now soul laden Wurmwood (gotta use those Delicious Fruit Tokens for something).

Circle turn 3: Cassius upkept Curse of Shadows, which cost 2 fury due to Lamentation. The Bone Grinders used Craft Talisman on Cassius and the Shifting Shifting Stones shifted Wurmwood to the other side of the pond. The Stone Keeper shifted over and targeted the Gatorman Bokor with Rock Hammer, but missed and deviated, killing a Beast Handler. Cassius then took the souls from Wurmwood as fury, advanced and cast Wraith Bane (counts as having magic weapons and ignores spell based DEF and/or ARM buffs) on the Stalker, the Reeve Hunter and a War Wolf, followed up by casting Unseen Path to teleport to the far side of Wurmwood. The Stalker then warped Berserk and advanced to attack some Gators. His unboosted claw attack missed, but his fully boosted initial sword attack hit and killed the first Gator, generating another attack that hit and killed the next one with a boosted damage roll (neither making tough rolls and Wurmwood getting their souls). His next Berserk attack missed and the Stalker cast Lightning Strike (providing Sprint) on itself and advanced back to in front of Wurmwood, the Gator not being able to free strike due to Curse of Shadows. The Reeve Hunter shot the Gatorman that the Stalker missed, doing no damage, but allowing the remaining War Wolf to charge it out of turn, making his CMD check (Terror from Dirge of Mists) and doing 2 damage. Lanyssa then fired an Ice Bolt at another Gatorman, but missed and the War Wolf activated and charged that Gator, but failed it's CMD test (which wasn't necessary in hind sight). The Swamp Gobbers advanced and made another cloud and the Feralgeist ran in front of Wurmwood. Next the two remaining Skinwalkers charged the fairly exposed Naaresh, doing a CMA and hit, dealing 9 damage and increasing Naaresh's STR & ARM by 1. Additionally, one of them engaged a Beast Handler and that unit failed their Terror check. The Pureblood then wapred Ghostly, moved up and sprayed a Skin Walker in the back, the spray covering both Skinwalkers, a Beast Handler and Naaresh. He hit both Skinwalkers, doing 2 damage to one and 6 to the other, hit and killed the Beast Handler, but more importantly boosted the hit on Naaresh, hitting and then boosted the damage, doing enough to kill him .............................................................................. except he made his tough roll.

Skorne turn 3: Naaresh upkept Lamentation and spent a fury to stand up. One of the Beast Handlers ran back a bit and they attempted to rally, but failed. The Task Master moved up and used Paindriver on the remaining Gatormen, giving them +2 STR for one round. The Rhinodon advanced, used it's tail to beat on the Pureblood doing a decent chunk of damage after filling up on fury. The Gatormen then charged, two on the Stalker and one on Lanyssa, using the Cold Blood Prayer, allowing them to reroll missed attack rolls against living models. All of their attacks hit, Lanyssa being killed and the Stalker being brought down to 3 health. Naaresh then advanced and combo struck the closer Skinwalker, killing it, healing 3 damage due to Life Drinker and then cast Cyclone to move away, sitting on 1 fury. The Cannoneer walked over to club the last Skin Walker to death (boosting the damage), freeing up the Gladiator to charge the Pureblood, filling up on fury and leaving the Pureblood with 7 health.

Circle turn 4: Cassius didn't upkeep Curse of Shadows. First the Bone Grinders advanced, grouped up and tried to hit Naaresh with an Arcane Bolt, needing 7's and missed. Next the Shifting Stones shifted up and the Stone Keeper tried to hit Naaresh with Rock Hammer, needing 9's and missed, deviation doing nothing. The Swamp Gobbers ran in front of the Reeve Hunter and he promtly shot one in the back, bringing Wurmwood up to 4 souls, with the last Gobber failing his CMD check. Cassius then activated, taking the souls as fury (having 10), healing each Warpwolf for 2 points to make them fully functional, cast Lightning Strike on both of them and cast Unseen Path to teleport behind Wurmwood. The Stalker warped Berserk and due to some crap rolls only killed one and brought another down to 3 health remaining, not bothering to Sprint away afterwards and with Wurmwood getting the Gator soul. The Pureblood warped +2 STR and went all out on the Gladiator, but rolled even more poorly, doing little damage. Lastly, the Feralgeist ran into the pond.

Skorne turn 4: Naaresh upkept nothing and the Beast Handlers rallied. As his beasts were running hot, after leaching fury the Rhinodon was still full and frenzied on the Pureblood, doing enough to kill it, but Beau took it over with the Feralgeist. Naaresh then activated and charged the Stone Keeper, killing him and healing 2 damage from it. He then cast Iron Flesh on himself and sat on 3 fury. The Gladiator then moved very slightly, changing facing so as to cast Rush on the Cannoneer and killed the possessed Pureblood, popping the Feralgeist out. The Cannoneer then advanced 6" and fired a fully boosted shot at Wurmwood, doing 7 damage to Wurmwood (and thus Cassius) and 3 directly to Cassius with boosted blast damage. The Task Master then gave the Gators Paindriver again and the Gators, using Cold Blood, finished off the Stalker, Cassius reeving the fury and Wurmwood taking its soul.

Circle turn 5: Cassius cut himself for 2 fury to get up to 6. The Reeve walked back 6" to shoot the remaining Swamp Gobber in the back, giving Wurmwood a soul. The Bone Grinders, intending to give Wurmwood more souls, then got in an incompetent conga line of death, the leader shooting an Aracane Bolt at the Rhinodon for no damage and the other two attacking the one in front of them in the back, but missing. Cassius activated taking the 3 souls as fury and cast Hellmouth on the non-Bokor Gatorman, pulling in the Bokor and Taskmaster. He boosted the damage on both Gators, killing them, but needed a 6 to kill the Task Master outright and rolled a 5, leaving it with 1 health. Cassius then charged the Task Master, but missed and cast Unseen Path to move Wurmwood behind the nearby obstacle. Two soul tokens were mistakenly put on Wurmwood, but we remembered on the next turn that RFP > souls. Lastly, the Shifting Stones shifted to pen in the Cannoneer and the Feralgeist ran up to be engaged by it.

Skorne turn 5: Naaresh didn't upkeep Iron Flesh. After leaching fury, 1 was left on the Gladiator and 2 on the Cannoneer, though neither frenzied. First the Beast Handlers advanced and removed the fury from the beasts and the Gladiator cast Rush on the Cannoneer and walked over to kill two Bone Grinders. The Rhinodon smashed a Shifting Stone that was penning in the Cannoneer and the Cannoneer advanced and fired a fully boosted shot at Wurmwood, taking out Cassius.

Aftermath: It seemed as though Beau had Jamar dead to rights, but then tough happened, which is ironic, as Jamar harps on the ability's brokeness all the time. On the bottom of the 2nd round Jamar, for no apparent reason, left the somewhat damaged, fury-lacking Naaresh quite vulnerable (albiet at ARM 19) and Beau attempted to capitalize on it. With that exception, Jamar played well, though he was greatly helped by Beau's dice hating him (or rather his beasts) on that critical fourth turn. While its always easier to say after the fact, what may have been more effective on Beau's turn 3 assassination run would have been to not upkeep Curse of Shadows, take the fury from Wurmwood, move Cassius up first and do a fully boosted Stanglehold (Lamentation be damned) and then Unseen Path away, sitting on 1 fury. As Naaresh had lost 13 of his 17 health after the Skinwalkers' CMA hit, the theoretical Stranglehold would have had to do 4 damage to force another tough roll when the Pureblood would later have sprayed him. All things considered, it was still an exciting battle and next time they meet (and there will be a next time) I'm sure Beau will have some nasty Domination models for Jamar to contend with, *cough*ghetogrovegriffon*cough*.